The challenge in designing these rainbow-coloured elements at the heart of the Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice was to make them safe and wheelchair-accessible while retaining a sense of fairground adventure. The Ferris wheel’s eight partially glazed pods, affording views to a nature reserve and the sea, each accommodate a small family group with wheelchair. Their sails, with pierced geometric patterns, create a play of shadow and colour below. The undulating canopy of the ‘Magic Carpet’ walkway linking ground and lower-ground levels gives a feeling of being swept through the air. Perforated aluminium is used both for this and for the handrail of the rooftop walkway, which features motifs from children’s stories.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture